


Insert Something Clever Here

by AnythingElse



Series: Adventures of Bucky the College Student [1]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: AU, Age Difference, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, College Student Bucky, Fluff, M/M, businessman Steve
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-16
Updated: 2018-01-16
Packaged: 2019-03-05 13:44:29
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,767
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13389045
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AnythingElse/pseuds/AnythingElse
Summary: A fluffy modern AU featuring Businessman Steve and College Student Bucky.**Age Difference**





	Insert Something Clever Here

**Author's Note:**

> I wasn't sure if people would want more of this fic or not, so.... if y'all want more just let me know! I'd be happy to continue it in a Part 2.  
> I don't have anyone for editing (or story helping) sorry! If you see mistakes or have ideas just comment!
> 
> **I got requests for a PT 2, so this is now a series! If y'all want more, let me know! I'm having fun with this story.

_Tonight will be a good night._

 

The family of six just spilled their 4th glass of coke, spewing the sticky liquid across the chairs and table.

 

_Tonight will be a good night._

 

The kids from A5 just took their ice cream sundaes over to the freshly-cleaned booths in B5. They are loudly arguing over Pokemon Go, spilling the melted dessert onto the table and floor.

 

_Tonight will be a good night._

 

The party of 5 that had just dropped over $100 on drinks and fancy appetizers finally vacated after 2 hours of raucous (and tipsy) conversation. Their generous tip? Non-existent.

 

Bucky sighs as he starts his side-work. Just another night working at the prestigious Red Room. He releases another deep sigh as he leans over to pick up the pile of wrapped utensils the kids had been using to hit each other. Something cold and wet seeps through the fabric of his dress slacks.

 

Positive-thinking mantra forgotten, Bucky stares dejectedly at the ice cream adorning his only work pants. He is absentmindedly adding tonight's tips to see if he can afford laundry when he hears a choking noise followed by some shuffling. Apparently he has an audience to witness the patheticness that is his life.

 

 _I love my job_ , Bucky reminds himself as he sanitizes the booth. The sugar packets have all been opened and the A1 sauce has been used to draw a cartoonish phallic symbol across the table.

 

“Well someone was being optimistic.” The low chuckle behind him brings Bucky out of his thoughts. He bites back a giggle as he turns towards the guest who had spoken. Awestruck, he gapes at the ridiculously handsome blond businessman standing before him.

 

“Uh. Did you, uh, need something? Sir?” He stammers out eloquently.

 

Unfazed, the man leans against the bench with a wide smile. “Yeah. Seems our waitress abandoned us, and I've got some businessmen to impress. You look reliable, so I'd like you to take over our table. Permanently. Start us out with 6 bottles of Hefe. Go ahead and bring the chilled mugs even though nobody at the table will use one. Thanks, kid!”

 

Bucky watches the man walk away before picking his jaw back up off the floor. He is in crisis whether to feel incredibly impressed or pissed. He decides on mostly impressed as he hustles back to the kitchen to grab 6 waters, beers, and glasses. Honestly, the guy is only asking for what he should have already gotten. His assigned waitress, Darcy, can be a bit of a flake. It's just that they have a reason the waitresses get assigned to the businessmen-- the girls always get tipped better while Bucky could now be working yet another table that will stiff him at the end.

 

_I love my job._

 

Plastering on his best customer-service smile, Bucky steps out onto the floor with the tray of drinks. The table welcomes him with a soft cheer and he takes the group’s orders without incident. The group is surprisingly well-mannered and polite, despite the endless supply of empty beer bottles.

 

It's almost closing time, so Bucky is trying to sweep, restock condiments and prep for tomorrow's openers. Having mastered the art of multitasking, he hears someone approach the register. Seeing the handsome blond businessman, Bucky’s heart sinks. The waitstaff delivers checks, so the man being here at his counter means he is tired of waiting for Bucky’s arrival. A quick glance proves the table is still eating, not quite ready to finish their night.

 

Muscle memory takes over as Bucky turns towards the customer. His brow smoothes as his smile returns. “Sir! I'm so sorry I wasn't able to deliver your check.” Bucky silently thanks his past-self for always prepping the checks early. He notices the man is holding his credit card, so he steps to the cash register in order to process payment. “I can take care of you now, if you’d like?”

 

An easy smile spreads across the man’s face. He is leaning against the counter and looks way too relaxed. “I would _love_ to have you take care of me.” However, he does not extend the payment for Bucky to take. Flustered, Bucky nods and extends his hand. The blond’s eyes crinkle as his smile expands. He flips the card through his fingers and offers it with a casual 2-fingered gesture.

 

Bucky runs the card with shaking fingers. _Was he just flirting with me? No. But?_ He sneaks a glance at the card before handing it back. He’d been hoping for a name, but instead read  S.H.I.E.L.D. L.L.C.

 

A stern voice from the kitchen reminded Bucky of his priorities. “James. _Mycop_ ”

 

“да” he mumbles. Smiling at the sexy businessman, he tells him to just leave the receipt when he's done signing. As he’s gathering the trash, he wonders if the man was actually upset about not getting his check. Bucky hopes he wasn't, and almost convinces himself that he only cares because of the tips. _Of course I don't care if a random stranger thinks I'm shit at my job. But he said I look reliable….what if I let him down?_

 

Ten minutes later, Bucky finds out he had been stressing for no reason. The receipt he’d left the other man is signed with, he notes, a generous $30 tip. On the back of the check under Bucky’s cheerful ‘Thank you!’ is a note from the businessman.

 

_James,_

_You looked like you weren’t having the best of days today, and I hope I didn’t make it worse.  The business meeting was a success and that wouldn’t have happened without you._

_Thanks,_

_Steve_

 

\-----

 

Bucky is playing on his phone while he waits for his laundry to dry. Thanks to Handsome Businessman (Steve, apparently), he had enough to do laundry and get groceries! His thumb hovers over the search bar for a second before he gives into temptation. He types in SHIELD LLC and watches as the infuriating little loading screen circles blankly on the screen. The search results finally load and Bucky realizes there are over 20 pages to filter through. On a whim, he pulls up the image results. There, six images in, is a familiar circle design with a star in the center. The same logo had been in the background on the credit card.

 

The loud hum of the fluorescent lights suddenly breaks through Bucky’s concentration. Sometime in the last twenty minutes the dryer cycle had ended leaving the the washroom eerily too-bright and too quiet. Twenty minutes of intensive research later, Bucky had more questions than answers. Apparently, SHIELD is an encompassing media marketing company. They employ many different professionals and work with various freelance artists holding contracts throughout the world. Their repertoire includes illustration, graphic design, copywriting, social media, marketing, and even more positions than Bucky could ever even imagine.

 

Despite the extensive research Bucky _still_ does not know what part of Shield Steve is. His large build screams security but the security team probably doesn’t meet with clients at fancy dinners. He doesn’t look too artsy, so maybe he’s a photographer or graphic designer? Bucky finally sighs in defeat and goes to remove his clothes from the dryer. Steve wasn’t pictured in any of the company’s social media pages, and his photo didn’t come up on the ‘Introducing the Artists’ page. Bucky decides to let it go as he heads back towards his apartment. What good would finding Steve do anyway?

 

\---------

 

It's two weeks later when Bucky sees Steve again. He has finals coming up so there are note cards & a textbook hiding out of view behind the podium. Bucky was able to strike a deal with Wanda tonight so he could host & she’d wait tables. The deal? She doesn't have to tip him out at the end of the night.

 

He is bent over scrawling notes onto cards when a light ding notifies him someone has entered. “Welcome to the Red Room, how many in your party tonight?” He finishes the spiel just in time to see a flash of white teeth and the most gorgeous blue eyes. Handsome Businessman is leaning in way too close. And smiling way too brightly.

 

“James! So glad to see you here tonight. It's just my buddy Tony and me. Any chance I can convince you to be my waiter again?” His stupidly handsome face looks so endearing and Bucky might just actually die.

 

Bucky responds as elegantly as ever and stutters out a response. “I'd, uh, be happy to serve you tonight, sir, if you'd like. But we do have Wanda tonight and I assure you she is wonderful. Very professional & never neglects her tables!”

 

Steve still doesn't break eye contact and it's unnerving. “Frankly, James, I'm a little old fashioned and, thus, hate change. If it's all the same to you, I'd prefer to have you tonight.” His friend mutters something about the old fashioned remark, but Bucky can't hardly concentrate.

 

“Right this way, please.” He seats them in the block closest to him so he can keep an eye on their table. They take their menus and order drinks-- Root Beer for Steve, which Bucky finds cute. He seems much more relaxed today and even his drink choice reflects that.

 

Bucky cannot seem to focus on the Color & Design Theory book open in front of him. He shuts the book and decides to take it easy for the rest of his shift. The class is difficult, sure, but he feels confident applying the formulas and understanding the theories. Sighing deeply, he leans back in his chair and glances over to the booth where Handsome Businessman and his friend are enjoying their meal. Now that he isn’t sweating over the proximity, Bucky feels like he recognizes the man with Handsom….. _Steve..._ he corrects himself. He’s wondering where he knows him from-- was he on the SHIELD website? One of their artists, maybe? The two seem like friends more than coworkers, but it’s not impossible to be both.

 

Noticing that their cups are almost empty, Bucky quickly fills two glasses with their respective drinks and heads towards the table. He replaces their drinks, clears their empty dishes, and asks a few questions to determine if they want more time or are ready for their check. Steve’s friend slips his card to Bucky and asks for a mug of coffee. “I need a little more caffeine before I’m ready to face the world again. Anything for you, Steve?” The handsome blond shakes his head and smiles at Bucky. Back at the host counter, he quickly runs the card before going to grab the pot of coffee. He knows it will take a second to process, so he figures he may as well utilize the time. When he gets back he folds the receipt inconspicuously and grabs a little tray with the fancy chocolate mints they give away with each meal.

 

He really didn’t mean to look at the name on the credit card this time. In fact, he wishes he hadn’t seen the name at all. There, in silver, on the simple matte black card was this man’s name. The bumpy little letters raised up against the background and catching his attention. Tony Stark. This man here, a ‘buddy’ of Handsome Steve, was _the_ Tony Stark. Billionaire genius and owner of one of the most successful tech companies on the entire planet. And, yet, all Bucky can wonder is _who is Steve?_ This question plaguing his thoughts, Bucky heads back out to their table. He serves Tony a mug of coffee and places the tray of mint chocolates onto the table. Artfully blocking view with his tray, he slides the receipt and a pen to Tony before vacating the space.

 

Minutes later, the party that reserved their upstairs banquet room starts arriving. Bucky is caught up in a whirlwind of screaming children and tired parents as he leads them all up the swooping wooden staircase. Once they have all been situated, Bucky allows himself a peek down over the railing. To his disappointment, Steve & Tony have already left. Bucky notices the receipt folded on the tray and….something else is there, too. He quickly makes sure that everything is in order before hustling down the stairs back to the table near the door. The remaining dirty dishes have been piled neatly by the edge of the table alongside the little metal tray. Bucky picks that up first-- habit! He can’t help himself. He smiles at the generous tip before focusing once again on the tray. At first, he thinks Tony accidentally left his credit card. But, on closer inspection, it’s a business card. _Steve’s business card._

 

Bucky quickly clears the table and wipes it down before heading back towards the host’s podium with his newfound prize. It’s not black, as he originally thought. The card is navy blue, printed on thick expensive paper. The Shield Logo is printed on the front with minimal details all outlined in an embossed silver. Turning it over, he studies the back of the card. The simplicity is downright striking. In the same embossed silver as the front, there are two lines of font.

 

_Steve Rogers_

_SGRogers@ShieldMarketing.com_

 

Bucky cannot understand what is happening. Why is the card here? It's for him, right? Like a message? He couldn't have accidentally dropped his business card on the tray, right? But looking back on it, Bucky is like 84% sure Businessman Steve was flirting with him. Before he can stress it further, another party arrives and his attention is diverted.

 

It's Friday when Bucky finds the business card in his work-pants pocket. Sitting alone in the apartment’s laundry room, he figures there's nothing to lose.

 

**JBBarnes**

Hey.

Forget something at the restaurant?

  


**SGRogers**

Forget? Nope.

 

Bucky can’t help but grin. He has a pretty short list when it comes to what he looks for in potential dates. Despite not being lengthy most people still can’t fulfill his criteria. There are 3 simple things he looks for in a potential partner;

 

  1. Attraction
  2. Straightforwardness
  3. Knowing what they want from life



 

So far, businessman Steve seems to be checking all his boxes. And he put the ball in Bucky’s court which is a huge win. Unless, of course, Bucky happens to be mis-reading this whole situation. Referring back to Number Two on his own personal list, he types a quick reply to Steve. While he has a special kind of hate for playing games, Bucky is painfully aware that being too direct is a turn-off for a lot of people. _May as well find out sooner than later. I’m not the type to pretend to be someone else._

 

**JBBarnes**

So, why the cryptic business card? A guy can take that many different ways, and I’m hoping we’re on the same page here.

 

Mostly to distract himself, Bucky busies himself with swapping his laundry over to the dryer. He’s feeling a little spoiled-- clean laundry twice in as many weeks? Practically unheard of for the average poor college student. As much as he appreciates it, he does not take the luxury for granted. He worked hard for his scholarship and he picks up every shift possible to ensure he can properly eat and pay rent. It’s part of his life motto-- accept but don’t expect.

 

His phone vibrates and he is suddenly feeling nervous. What if he did misread Steve’s intentions? The blond had seemed flirtatious, but what if that is just his personality? What if Bucky got his hopes up for nothing and is about to discover Steve is painfully straight & uninterested?! Bucky grabs his phone intending to end this misery one way or another.

 

**SGRogers**

Cryptic? My apologies for the misunderstanding. I wanted the chance to get to know you better without bombarding you at work. I felt that leaving you my contact info allowed you to respond only if your interests were the same.

 

So, what do you say? Would you like to get to know each other better?

 

Apparently, Businessman Steve was just as straightforward as he was handsome. Deciding to take the plunge, Bucky sends a confirmation with his phone number. After gathering up his laundry, he dials up his best friend. He may be shit at flirting but Natasha could win over a brick wall with her charms. Also, Bucky is just really excited and wants to tell her about Steve. While they’re on the phone, Steve sends Bucky a text so that he has Steve’s phone number. He mentions that he will be in a conference, but he looks forward to getting to know Bucky.

 

It was some ungodly early hour the next day when Bucky got his first text from Steve. A cheerful 'good morning’ text. Bucky sees it at 8 when he finally stops snoozing his alarms for class. Catching sight of the oxymoron makes him groan out loud. And then he smiles. He cocoons himself in all his blankets and takes a selfie. He views the final product and can't help but be pleased with himself. The room is dark so the only light comes from his cellphone screen. His glaring eyes are softened by tousled bed hair and pouting lips. The picture is grainy from the low lighting but just clear enough. He accompanies the photo with a short message.

 

**Bucky:**

**Things to know about me**

**#1 I hate mornings**

 

Bucky sends off the message before rushing through his morning routine. Luckily, he has become a master at getting ready for school in under 10 minutes. Despite his hatred for mornings, his job at the Red Room means that he has to leave his evenings free to pick up shifts. Freshly showered, he grabs his backpack and work clothes-dufflebag and races outside.

 

It is a 12 minute bike ride to school and the cool air cutting through his hoodie is invigorating. Once on campus grounds, Bucky coasts over to the bike stands and locks up. A pair scuffed Converse and shiny black boots come into view. Bucky looks up to see his friends, Clint and Natasha, and realizes Natasha is holding out a breakfast burrito for Bucky. Grinning, he throws an arm over each of their shoulders as they walk towards their classes.

 

Natasha and Bucky settle into the back of the lecture hall. They both had to take a mandatory health/humanties class and had picked Human Sexuality. Admittedly, the class could be very interesting. It's just that today Bucky’s life held their attentions. He was answering Natasha’s questions about Steve (mostly with 'I don't know’) when he pulled his phone out of his backpack and saw 6 unread messages.

 

**Businessman Steve:**

**What a shame, I love them!**

 

**Businessman Steve:**

**Maybe I can help change your outlook?**

 

The next 4 messages are all photos. The first is a beautiful sunrise over a park. The light over the horizon makes the whole scene glow. The second photo is a cookie and coffee artistically arranged on a table in a Starbucks. Third is a desk with papers laid out, the back of a computer and a mug of coffee. The photo is artistically blurred so no actual details are readable. The 4th and final photo is the one that catches Bucky off-guard. It's a gym locker room mirror selfie. There is steam on the mirror, but the blurred reflection shows the most beautiful, pale muscular body he has ever seen. There is a towel wrapped around his waist and droplets of water gleaming on every curve of his body.

 

None of the photos had a caption except the final one. Once he was done gawking, Bucky moved his attentions to the caption.

 

**Businessman Steve:**

**Imagine all the interesting things you are missing out on every morning…**

 

**Bucky:**

**I'm now reconsidering all of my life decisions.**

 

**Bucky:**

**Looks like mornings are a beautiful & wonderous thing. **

 

After sending the text, Bucky looks over to see Natasha's jaw dropped. She gives him a Cheshire grin and cocks an eyebrow at him. “Here I thought you needed my help flirting? Looks like you are doing just fine on your own.” Bucky blushes and ducks his head but is saved from responding when another text arrives. Attention diverted, Natasha reads over his shoulder. The lack of photos (he assumes) bores her, so she goes back to twiddling with her phone. Bucky pushes aside his textbook and laptop because, let's face it, he isn't going to be doing any of today’s classwork.

 

**Businessman Steve:**

**So, James, tell me a bit about yourself.**

 

**Bucky:**

**Well, first of all, nobody calls me James. I go by Bucky.**

 

**Businessman Steve:**

**Ok, Bucky, good start what else?**

 

**Bucky:**

**Let’s see…. I enjoy learning new things and have an affinity for languages. I moved out here for school from a small town. I share an apartment with my friend Peter. My favorite color is blue and I love sleeping in.**

 

**Bucky:**

**Now, your turn. But I want the real stuff, not just the same ol work-bio you give everyone. Tell me about the real Steve.**

 

It takes 12 minutes for Steve to reply this time. (Not that Bucky was counting or anything.) He starts to worry that maybe he was too commanding. Or….his phone lights up with a new message & his worries scuttle away again.

 

**Businessman Steve:**

**Nobody has asked about the real Steve in a very long time, but I'll see what I can dredge up.**

 

**Businessman Steve:**

**When I was little I had every health problem in the book, so now I lead a very healthy lifestyle. I love being up every morning before the world wakes up-- it's both beautiful and humbling. I love dogs and think they are too good for us humans. And...I'd like to go on a date with you.**

 

**Bucky:**

**Wow, way to make a guy feel inadequate. My whole answer seems so plebeian now.**

 

**Bucky:**

**That aside, I would love to go on a date with you. The only day I have off work and school is Thursday. Will that work for you?**

 

**Businessman Steve:**

**That is perfect. Thursdays happen to be my favorite day of the week.**

 

**Bucky:**

**Oh, really. Why is that?**

 

**Businessman Steve:**

**Because Thursdays are date nights. I now get to ask you on a date every Thursday. Best. Day(s). Ever.**

 

**Bucky:**

**Sap. I have the feeling I'm going to have a hard time saying no to you.**

 

**Businessman Steve:**

**That's OK, Buck. I have a feeling I won't be able to say no to you, either.**


End file.
